I'm so sorry. That is so scary.
It makes me want to get healthy 100% naturally. And when I get frustrated and want to take the easy way out, I think of what has regretfuly happened to others like yourself. :(
Rather gives me more of an impetus to get on with the HUGE lifestyle change of losing a serious amount of weight. That and, well I know surgery helps so many who are too heavy-but even THAT scares me. And I keep thinking I don't want my health to get so out of control that I'll have to have gastric bypass. But if I don't get serious about my actions, I'll only lose more of my health and I'm only 19.

sorry, didn't mean to vent. It's just that this post made me feel convicted.

Once again, I'm very sorry.

The bypass surgery for weight loss comes with risks as well. I had a friend who died from complications following her surgery. My pulmonologist's nurse died from it as well. (I don't live in a huge city - and that is TWO people I know who died.)

There are NO fast fixes. You are right... LIFESTYLE change is the only healthy way to go.

Good luck!

Jo :)

I sincerely hope that you recover your health. I, too, was talked into taking those awful drugs back in the 80's. I only took them three months and gave them up because I was showing signs of serious neurological damage. Now, I am disabled, unable to work. But I am determined to make the best of the worst. At first, I just wanted to die rather than go on like this, but in the year that I have become too sick to walk without aide, I have also found that there is still joy in my life and it is well worth living. I pray that you find peace within yourself and even happiness! But you're right about diet pills. They don't work and they're not worth the risk.

I have read about the lap band surgery... it appears to be safe... I, of course, am not a candidate for any type of elective surgery due to my condition... That said, I might consider the lap band surgery if I could do so without a huge risk.

The intestinal bypass is really radical. I PERSONALLY know 2 young women who died following the surgery. Ironically, both were nurses. They both left behind children and familes who miss them terribly.

It is a lot to consider. The rehab from surgery is a long process - and that's even IF you survived the surgery.

Jo

You are not alone in the effects of phen phen. My girlfriend was put on phen phen and it did horrible things to her kidneys and her liver. She didn't gain weight, she lost weight; along with her bodily functions and the ability to control them :-)

I never had the pleasure of taking phen phen but when I was 10 I was placed on something, I can't recall the name of it; but it was a diet pill of some sort. Pretty scary back in the early 70's/80's they would give those things to kids huh?

I have tettered with the idea of gastric surgery as well...I just get very very scared at the side effects. I also look at pictures of people who dose loose the weight and then the skin just hangs off them. Yet again, another surgery.

Personally, mine is not an eating issue..I eat very little but just can't get weight off. I do exercise and do what is asked..it just won't move.

I honestly wish there was a magic "plan" that I could follow and it would work.

I guess I can concur with you about the effects of diet drugs because being placed on diet pills at the age of 10 (yeah 10). I didn't have body scars, I ended up with mental scars having the idea as a child that my body was disgusting...even then.

Try living with that one for 30 some years.

Thanks for sharing.

Thanks everyone for sharing your stories. It reminds me that I should be trying to loose weight the healthy way through proper diet and exercise. It is so hard today with all the mixed messages we receive about what is the right way to live.